Apparatus for preparing wood for making paper-pulp



2 Sheets--Sheet 1. W. R. PATRICK.

Apparatus forPreparing Wood for Makin g- Paper Pulp. Patented Nov. 9, 1880.

N FEIERS, PNOTOMTHOGRAPHER. WASTHxNGTcN. D C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. R. PATRICK.

Apparatus for Preparing Wood for Making Paper Pulp.

No. 234,144. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

N.PEIER5, PMOTO-LITMOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. PATRICK, OF MARINETTE, WISCONSIN.

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING WOOD FOR MAKING PAPER-PULP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,144, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed July 28, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that WILLIAM R. PATRICK, of Marinette, in the county of Marinette and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing Wood for Making Paper-Pulp, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l presents a plan View of my apparatus, the lid being partly broken away. Fig. 2 presents a vertical section on the line a: :r in Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on the line y y in Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section on the line z z in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the hot-water chamber.

The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to apparatus for softening and cleansing wood in order to prepare it for grinding into paper-pulp and it coni sists in providing a water-tight tank for containing the wood, having a perforated plate near the top for the admission of water to the wood and suitable pipes for the supply and discharge of steam and water, together with other devices which will be hereinafter particularly specied, a principal object being to facilitate the treatment of wood by the application of water and steam, as described in my Letters Patent of May 18, 1880, Nos. 227,646 and 227 ,647 though it will also be found useful in other Inodes of treating the wood.

In the drawings, A denotes a water-tight tank for containing the wood. 1n the front of the tank are openings for putting in the wood, which may be tightly closed by the shutters B and B. An outward projection from the middle part of each shutter receives a screw-bolt, b, which passes also through the middle of the upright bar b. When turned tight the bolt forms a rigid connection between the shutter and the middle of the bar and holds the bar out so far that its ends press against the inner faces of the cleats b2 and b3 or b4. The shutters are thus firmly secured in their places. The wood rests on the supports a, which eX- tend along the bottom of the tank.

C denotes the lid or top plate, having in it the steam-escape pipe C', closed by the valve l c, which is held in its seat by the weight c2 at the end of the lever c. Parallel with the cover, and a short distance below it, the plate D extends from side to side and end to end of the interior of thetank. This plate has numerous ne perforations for the transmission ot' water in fine drops or spray to the wood below.

An upright water-pipe, E, passes up outside of the tank near its right end and communicates at the top with any suitable source for the supply of hot water. This communication may be opened and closed by a valve in any ordinary mode. Just below this communication E opens into a horizontal hot-water pipe, E', which passes 'into the tank and extends over the perforated plate D nearly to the opposite end of the tank, its farther end being open. It has numerous perforations, e', at different points of its length for the distribution of the hot water over the surface of D. The upright pipe E opens at its lower end into an elbow-joint, F', continuous with the hot-water chamber F. A valve, c, opens or closes at will this communication between E and F. A discharge-pipe, G, opening from the lower part of the tank at its right end into the hot-water chamber F, lets out the water which has passed through the wood, and a stop-cock, f, which may be opened or closed at will drains the hotwater chamber.

A cold-water pipe, I, enters the upper part of the tank at its left end and passes longitudinally above the perforated plate D, terminating just short of the farther end of the tank. It has perforationsvl similar to those in the hot-water pipe E', and for an analogous purpose. Outside of the tank, at its left end, is an upright steam-pipe, K, receiving steam from any suitable source of supply through the T- joint K. The upright steam-pipe K communicates at its upper end with an upper horizontal steam-pipe, K2, which passes nearly all the way through the upper part of the tank parallel with the water-pipes E and I, and has perforations k2 for the distribution of steam, similar to those in E and I. The use of this upper horizontal steam-pipe is when it is desired to treat the wood with hot water, while it is more convenient to admit the water cold to the tank and heat it there by the steam from K2. When it is not desired to use steam IOO in this way it may he shut ott' from K2 by the valve k. At its lower end the upright pipe K opens into the horizontal transverse extension K3, which communicates at about equal dis- 5 tances backward and forward of K with the lower horizontal steampipcs, K4 and K5, which pass nearly through the tank below the wood in directions parallel to the upper horizontal pipes, E', l, and K2. Both K* and K5 have to perforations k* and kf' for the distribution of steam, similar to those in the upper horizontal pipes.

When it is not desired to admit steam to the lower part of the tank the valve le in the upright pipe K, between K and K, may be closed. The T-joint K', which connects the supply of steam with the upright pipe K, also opens into an auxiliary steam-pipe, L, which passes horizontally to the back ot' the tank,

2o and then down behind it into thedrip-pipe ll. The communication of L with the supply and with the other steam-pipes may he shut oli' by the valve l." in its horizontal portion. The auxiliary7 steaurpipe L communicates through the drip-pipe with the pipe L, which passes from it axially not quite through the hot-water chamber F, and terminates in a small oritice, l,just opposite the opening from F into thel elbow-joint 11"', which communicates with the 3o upright hot-water pipe E, thereby making a kind ol' stema-injector.

By means of the system ot' valves the hot and cold water pipes, the upper steam-pipe, and the pair of lower steam-pipes may be used together or separately, according as it may be desired to treat the wood with steam, hot water, or cold water, or all three at once. When, for instance, it is desired to treat the wood according to the process described in 4o my Letters Patent No. 227,646, dated May 18, 1880, by simply passing hot water through it the supply of steam is shut oft', the valve e near the upper end ot' the upright hot-water pipe E is closed, and the communication bctween the source of supply of hot water and the horizontal hotwater pipe I is opened. The stop-cock f, which drains the hot-water chamber,is also opened. In this way hot water alone will be continually sprinkled or show- 5o ered through ther perforated plate D on the mass of wood, and, percolating it, will find outlet from the lower part of the tank through the discharge-pipe G into the hot-water chamber and out through the stop-cockf.

It', when the wood is thoroughly cleaned from its impurities, it is desired to soften it still further, the hot water, after passing through the wood, may be used again by closing the stop-cock f, the drip-pipe, and the valves k and le, which admit steam to the interior of the tank, and opening the valve k', which ad mits steam to the auxiliary' pipe L, and the valve e, which makes the hot-water pipes E and E' continuous with thc hot-water chamber F. In this way the steam, rushing through L and through its continuation L' within F,

will be shot out in ajet from the orit'ice l', and will force thc water in F through the hot-water pipes E and E into the upper part of the tank, where it will again be showered on the 7o wood through the perforated plate I).

lf it is not practicable or convenient to send the water hot into the upper part of the tank, the valve 1:, admitting steam to the upper horizontal pipe, K2, may be opened, and the steam, dili'nsing itselt'over the perforated plate D, will heat the water which is showered on it at the same time. When the steam is thus admitted through the upper pipe, K2, the water may be admitted cold through the pipe l, the hot-wa- 8c ter pipes E and E being used only after the cleansing of the wood has been el'ected and it is desired to use the same water repeatedly for further softening.

To treat the wood according to the process described in my Letters Patent No. 227,647, dated May 18, 1880, by the combined opera tion ot' hot water and steam, it is only neces sary (in addition to those arrangements of the apparatus which have been mentioned in de- 9o scribng the mode of treatment with hot water alone, or such of them as are suitable to the particular variety of this mode which may be selected) to open the valve k, which admits steam to the lower horizontal pipes, so g5 that, passing through these pipes and the perforations in their walls, it may rise through the mass of wood.

When it is desired to use hot water and steam alternately', the water heilig applied in roo either ot' the partcula-r modes already described, the stop-cock f should be closed, the supply of water shut oi, and the tank allowed to remain full fora few minutes; then,fbcing opened again, the tank should be allowed to empty itself', after which steam may be ad mitted by opening the valve k3, which opens communication between the source ot supply and the lower horizontal pipes, K4 and K5.

If it is desired to treat the wood with cold no water exclusively, the valves should all be well closed, except those which admit water through the cold-water pipes I and allow a discharge through the hot-water chamber.

It is obvious that the apparatus may be x15 adapted for use in one or more processes exclusively' by dispensing with those parts of it which are not used in the particular process or processes selected.

As an additional or alternative means of :zo distributing steam through the wood, pipes perforated like the horizontal steam pipes may be extended upward through the interior of the tank either vertically or at a greater or less angle to the horizon. rz 5 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tank within which the wood is packed and which may be tightly closed, in comhination with a spraying or Vsprinkling device arranged in the tank above the wood and a device for supplying hot Water to the spraying device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A closed tank for containing the Wood, provided with a discharge-outlet at or near the bottom thereof, in combination with a spraying device arranged Within the tank above the wood and a device for supplying hot Water to the spraying device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A close tank for containing the wood, in combination with a device at or near the bottom of the tank, whereby steam is supplied in jets for distribution through the mass of wood, substantially as described.

4. A close tank within which the wood is packed, provided with a discharge-opening at or nea-r its bottom, in combination With a device at or near the bottom of the tank, for jetting steam into the tank and through the mass of wood, and a device arran ged above the Wood. whereby hot water is sprinkled or sprayed upon the wood, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A close tank for containing the wood, in

combination with a Water-spraying device ar- Y ranged above the wood, a steamjetting device at or near the bottom of the tank, and a discharge-outlet which may be opened and closed at will or left open to permit a continuous discharge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The tank A, in combination with the perforated steam-pipes K4 K5, arranged at the bottom thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The tank A, in combination with a hotwater pipe or pipes, E', perforated to sprinkle or spray hot Water over the wood, substantially as described.

8. The tank A, in combination with the perforated hot-Water pipe E and the perforated pan D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The tank A, in combination with the perforated hot-Water pipe or pipes E and the perforated steam-pipes K4 K5, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The tank A, provided with a dischargepipe,f, having a valve, f', in combination with the perforated steam-pipes K4 K5 and the per forated hot-water pan D, substantially as described.

]l. The perforated pan D, in combination with the perforated steam-pipe K2 and the perforated cold -Water pipe I, whereby the water is supplied and heated within the tank, substantially as described.

12. The tank A, in combination with the supply steam-pipe K, the auxiliary steam-pipe L L', the hot-Water chamber F, into which the discharge-pipe from the tank leads, and the hot-water supply-pipe E, whereby water from the chamber F may be forced back into the tank, substantially as described.

13. The tank A, in combination with the hot-Water chamber F, connecting-pipe Gr, and discharge-pipe f, provided with valve f', substantially as described.

14. The tank A, in combination with the hot-Water supply-pipe E and perforated pan D, the perforated steam-supply pipes K4 K5, and a discharge-pipe, f, provided With a valve, f', which may be opened and closed at will, whereby Water alone may be used, or Water and steam together, or alternated, and the tank constantly discharged or tilled and discharged intermttently, substantially as described.

15. In a tank for preparing wood for paperpulp, the shutter B, in combination with the screw-bolt b, bar b', and cleats b2 and b3, substantially as and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM R. PATRICK.

Witnesses:

A. P. HoLLIsTER, C. A. SAWYER. 

